
69 
The nesting areas were scattered and accessible from the lake only. The 93 
miles of shoreline cruised in the survey were located at (1) Swampy Creek emptying 
into O'Brien Bay on the north side of Abitibi Lake, (2) Lightning River emptying into 
Lightning Bay on the south side of the lake, and (3) Ghost River also on the south side 
of Abitibi Lake. Lightning River with its dense young growth of balsam poplar, white 
birch and willow (following a burn in 1928) provided abundant shore vegetation. Ghost 
River provided the best nesting habitat for the American golden-eye and most of the 
broods of this species were observed in this area. 
The characteristic vegetation consisted of cattail (Typha latifolia) sedges 
(Carex spp.), bulrushes (Scirpus spp.), pondweed (Potamogeton spp.) coontail 
(Ceratophyllum spp.), horsetail (Equisetum spp.), reed grass (Phragmites spp.) and 
yellow pond lily (Nuphar spp.), Cattail was by far the more abundant and extended 500 
yards from the shoreline in several places. 
Summarizing, the types encountered on Abitibi Lake can be classified as follows: 
A. Shore vegetation: 
(1) Mature timber with occasional cavities for American golden-eyes - 
Ghost River and O'Brien Bay. 
(2) Immature timbers with no cavities - Lightning River. 
B. Emergent vegetation: 
(1) Stands of cattail, bulrush, and sedge found in shallow bays and 
rivers - includes the three nesting areas mentioned above. 
(2) Rocky shores with no emergent aquatics - includes the 
remainder of the shoreline. 
Chronology of the Nesting Season 
Conditions prior to June 10. 
Trappers Eugene Tremblay and Tavio Salo volunteered the following information 
on the nesting season prior to my arrival. 
The nesting period was delayed from two to three weeks in the areas visited in 
the survey. Ducks and geese were observed on Abitibi Lake two weeks prior to the 
break-up and removal of the ice on May 23, as compared to May 2, in 1949. 
Conditions after June 10. 
Nesting on Abitibi Lake had been underway two weeks by June 10. Some 
American golden-eyes were nesting on May 27, four days after the departure of the 
ice and blacks were known to be nesting in the area on June 4 (dates estimated from 
the broods observed on the area). The first brood of American golden-eyes was 
observed by Tremblay on Abitibi Lake on June 17; the first young blacks that I saw 
were hatched on June 30 and left the nest on July 1. 
No flightless birds were seen on the area. 
